20 February 2012

I have a new problem and I hate mentioning it as I feel as though I’m always complaining about something, however this one is getting a little serious. It’s all to do with the cushion in my NHS lounger. I think the flesh on my backside has virtually disappeared and I find myself sitting on two bones from eight o’clock in the morning until nine o’clock at night. Although we have taken to relieving this pressure by hoisting up at lunchtime and briefly at six o’clock, there are still a number of hours in between when this can be extremely uncomfortable. Accordingly, I have chased my Occupational Therapist to see if I could get one of those Roho cushions which are customised, through a computer reading, to an individual’s backside. I have one fitted on my wheelchair and I must say it is very successful.

The soft rubber cushion I have on the chair at present is fine for a few hours but towards the evening I find myself getting very uncomfortable and there is no excuse for that with all the wonderful equipment they have today to make patients feel as comfortable as possible. I telephoned my occupational therapist and from the conversation you might get the impression that I’m the first person who sits all day in one of these NHS loungers. In other words, she was not very conversant with alternative cushions and when I told her I thought I needed something like the one in my wheelchair, which I do find comfortable, she suggested that I perhaps spend a couple of hours a day in that. With the greatest respect, not a very useful suggestion. Apart from anything else, although the cushion is comfortable, you certainly cannot relax in a wheelchair and it would mean being hoisted out of my normal chair into the wheelchair and then back again at the end of the two-hour session. Who did she expect to do this.? Not a very practical suggestion. Anyway, she’s agreed to look into the Roho cushion. for me.

Yesterday, I discovered amongst all of my papers, that I had an envelope containing book tokens. One with a credit card at Waterstones’ and another one for £40 at Amazon. I went onto the Waterstones’ site and bought four books. I got onto the customer services division and explained that I was severely disabled and, in particular he could not write and add no use of my hands and they were very helpful and talked me through the whole process. I must say I find the business and reading books on my laptop, easy and enjoyable. I use the Kindle software which is free, and this enables me to change the font size and to turn over the pages orally.

Harriet, the head of Ross Nursing popped in this morning for a cup of coffee and a chat. It’s her new thing. She has decided to spend more time going around chatting to her clients to ensure that they are getting the service they want rather than spending her time doing the administration. I think this is a very good idea as one can diplomatically then sort out any little wrinkles in the service. Lovely though most of the girls are ,there certainly are one or two who are a bit dithering and nervous. – I expect it’s me who makes them so – but I suggested to Harrietit would be better for the clients if we could stick pretty well to the same people, at least, for the two key calls, the one first thing in the morning and the six call in the evening when I’m prepared for bed. Apart from the early morning call the other three seem to be serendipity, sometimes someone turning up who has never been here before, or perhaps only once, which means we have to take them through the process. Harriet took that on board and I believe will do something about it.

After that catalogue of misery, click here for some classical British humour.

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